LMRC Extends Lucknow Metro Trial Runs to Charbagh Station
The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) Ltd. yesterday evening extended trial runs/testing by another 2 km to Charbagh Station – the northern terminal of the 8.48 priority section of the 22.878 km north-south line. Until now, the LMRC had regularly been testing trains between Transport Nagar and Mawaiya, a distance of 6.5 kms, but had been waiting for the critical 255m cantilever bridge over the Indian Railways’ lines at Mawaiya to get completed by its contractor, SP Singla Constructions.
To recap – the LMRC had secretly launched testing in late-November 2016, officially flagged off testing on December 1 2016 between Transport Nagar – Alambagh and then extended testing further to Mawaiya Station in late December 2016. With this development, testing is now being conducted through the Transport Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Singar Nagar, Alambagh, Alambagh Bus Stand, Mawaiya, Durgapuri and Charbagh stations:
Priority Section: Transport Nagar – Charbagh (8.48 km) – view Lucknow Metro info & map
Photo Copyright: HT Lucknow
Photo Copyright: Rohit Kumar
LMRC’s team – Photo Copyright: Rohit Kumar
More images will be added when available, so do check back.
In another significant development, the LMRC earlier this week also secured the RDSO’s Speed Certificate to operate its Alstom trains at the maximum designed speed of 90 kmph. In the coming days, the LMRC will conduct load tests with the help of sand bags to simulate the ‘crush load’ – the maximum passenger capacity of the trains.
The LMRC is really keen to start commercial operations on March 26 2017, but has so far only received 1 train from Alstom’s plant in Andhra Pradesh. As I described in an earlier post, the LMRC needs a total of 6 trains to start smooth operations, so achieving this goal would be extremely tough. If the inauguration of the 302 km Agra-Lucknow Expressway is anything to go by, then we could see an inauguration on March 26 followed by actual revenue service in the following months. Stay tuned to find out what happens!
For more updates, check out the Lucknow section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Congrats LMRC
looks like this is getting completed so fast because of the UP elections?
Elections definitely have a role, but the overall driving force is LMRC’s work ethic. The underground section is hidden from the public’s view (no brownie points for any party), but every stage of it (bidding, contract, site preparation, construction) has made tremendous progress which hasn’t been witnessed in the metropolitan cities.
Lucknow Metro is going to be delayed by the lack of trainsets supplied by Alstom Ltd. and not by the delay in civil construction work. Perhaps the first of it’s kind delay in Indian Metro System till date.
Images provided above say different story…. An Uncharted Territory
WHAT IS STATUS ABOUT MAGENTA LINE PHASE-III ( DELHI)?
Testing is underway between Botanical Garden – Kalkaji and Janakpuri – IGI.
Botanical Garden – Kalkaji is expected to open in Q2 (April – June)
Janakpuri – Kalkaji is expected to open in December or Q1 (Jan – March) 2018
TMRG, yesterday I read it somewhere that the first TBM launched from the Bapu Bhavan shaft has already tunnelled a span of around 80+ metres and the second one is due for commissioning as soon as the starting of March…. Can you please confirm this?
It’s true – they’re achieving high daily advancement rates. 2nd TBM is supposed to start sometime this week. I’ll post an update whenever it does!
Hi TMRG, yesterday I read it somewhere that the first TBM launched from the Bapu Bhavan shaft has already tunnelled a span of around 80+ metres and the second TBM is due for commissioning at the start of the next month…. Can you please confirm this news?